David Cronenberg dives deep into the icy underbelly of London’s Russian mafia, and the result is a slow-burn masterpiece that cuts like a razor hidden in a coat sleeve. Viggo Mortensen is Nikolai Luzhin, the enigmatic chauffeur and enforcer with tattooed secrets etched into his skin—calm, calculating, and capable of switching from quiet charm to brutal violence in a heartbeat. Naomi Watts is Anna, the midwife who stumbles into this world after delivering a baby from a dying teenage prostitute, clutching a diary that could topple an empire.

The atmosphere is suffocating: foggy Thames nights, smoke-filled restaurants, and that infamous Turkish bath fight scene—naked, visceral, one of the most shocking and realistic brawls ever filmed. Mortensen is magnetic (Oscar-nominated for good reason), Vincent Cassel slithers as the unhinged mob prince, and Armin Mueller-Stahl chills as the avuncular-yet-monstrous boss. Cronenberg doesn’t glorify the violence; he makes you feel every blade, every betrayal.

It’s about identity, loyalty, and the cost of climbing the criminal ladder—wrapped in a thriller that twists right up to the final frame. Dark, deliberate, and unforgettable.

Still one of the best modern crime films. Cheeki breeki.

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